Barbie's Family Child Care
POLICIES
Statement of Purpose: The purpose of this program is to provide quality care for young children while their parents are at work. Each child is provided with materials (toys) and activities which meet her/his developmental needs. The furniture and other equipment are designed to help children gain independence in motor skills and self-help skills. The provider's responsibilities include making sure the children are safe; assisting them when they need help; providing appropriate toys and activities; maintaining a flexible, but predictable routine to each day; providing them with gentle, positive discipline; and, most importantly, giving them loving, nurturing care.
Before Your Child Begins: In order to help your child adjust to this program, I ask that you plan to bring him/her in for short visits during the week prior to the day he/she begins. This will give your child (and you) a chance to get to know me and the other children as well as to build trust in me. I will also have the opportunity to get to know your child more fully.
Hours: Barbie's Family Child Care is open from 8:00 a.m.- 5:30 p.m., Monday - Friday, on a year-round basis--except for the holidays and vacations listed on the calendar. Each family contracts for specific hours for their child(ren) based on their needs. Please check your contract if you are unsure of your child's hours.
Changes in Your Child's Schedule: If you need to bring your child into child care later than your scheduled time or if you will be picking him or her up between 11:30 and 3:00, please let me know. While I want to encourage you to visit any time during the day, I need to know if children will be arriving or leaving during mealtime, naptime, or activity time. I have found that if parents schedule well baby/child doctor visits early in the morning or later in the afternoon, the children's routine is not disrupted as much as those mid-day appointments. Tell me as soon as you know there will be a change in your schedule, so we can find the best way to accommodate that change. Please write down doctor appointments and other planned absences for me. For unplanned absences, please call the night before or at least 1/2-hour before you child's scheduled arrival time.
*********This does not mean that I do not want you to change your child's schedule, just let me know when you do. I do want to encourage you to spend time with your child. So if you are going into work late, leaving work early, or taking a day off--please, spend that extra time with your child.************
Parent Visits and Phone Calls: Please feel free to visit or call any time your child is in my care. If you need to talk to me at other times, you may call between 6:30 a.m. and 10 p.m. Mon-Fri, and Sunday evenings until 10:00. During the day, I may find it necessary to use the answering machine so I can attend to the children. Please leave a message if you reach the machine--I will call you as soon as I can.
Arrivals and Departures: Arrival and departure times can get quite hectic. Please try to come up with a routine that will work smoothly for you and your child. When arriving, park in a safe spot that is not likely to block other vehicles. (Do not park in the area between my driveway and the neighbor’s driveway, that is their parking spot.) Depending on your child’s age and abilities, it may be necessary to hold his/her hand from the car to the door of my house. If you have any concern about other cars arriving or other safety issues, please just make it your routine that you always hold hands while in the driveway. A routine will make it less likely that your child will fight you over this. If s/he does put up a fight, I suggest you let her/him choose whether s/he will walk holding your hand or whether s/he will be carried. (On a related note, when you are driving into the cul de sac and into the driveway, please watch for children who may be wandering.)
Once you are safely in my house, please place your child’s tote bag on his/her hook and sign-in. (See below for sign-in procedures) After you have signed your child in, you can help him/her take off coats and shoes but this is not required. I will help the children do this after you leave and encourage them to do much of this on their own. When you are ready, say your good-byes. Often, a hug and a kiss work well for children and parents but a high five and a ‘see ya buddy’ work too. Just try not to prolong this part of the routine. Once the goodbye is complete, then leave quickly. Often this is the time that children start getting upset that the parent is leaving, but stopping and coming back for more hugs will only make the next day’s departure even harder. If you find you want to talk to me more about problems you have had overnight or how your child is adjusting or anything else, feel free to call me when you get to work (or later).
For departures, simply do the arrival routine in reverse! Greet your child and we will probably have something to tell you about what has happened here during the day. Complete the sign-out portion of the Sign-in Book form. Help your child with shoes and coats (which for many children, this simply means tell him/her to do it and talk to me while you wait). And then hold his/her hand as you walk safely to your car.
Sign-in/Sign-out Procedures:
Please sign your child in each morning and sign her/him out each afternoon. This is required of me by the USDA Food Program and by National Accreditation standards. It is also useful for tax purposes and other record keeping purposes. To sign-in or sign-out, just find your last name on the tabs in the book, flip to that page and write down the time you arrive and put your initials. Please check the line where you are signing, to ensure that it has your child’s name and it has the appropriate date. I have a clock above the cubbies which I check frequently to ensure it is accurate. Please use this clock in determining what time to write down. I use The Official US Time Clock website at http://nist.time.gov/timezone.cgi?Eastern/d/-5/java to check the time occasionally. Under the comments section of the sign-in sheet, please write any information I may need. For infants, please write what time they woke up and what time they ate last. For everyone, please write any medications s/he has had or if there is anything that may affect our day (complaining of tummy ache, didn’t sleep well, misses Mom who’s on a business trip, etc.) You can tell me these things verbally too, of course. If you forget to sign in or sign out one day, do not worry about it. I will make a note of it in the comments section.
Parents and Non-Parents Visiting, Calling or Picking up Children: By law, I am required to allow a child's parent to visit, call or pick up the child at any time. The only instance when I would deny a parent access to his or her child would be if I have a legal copy of a court order stating that the parent's rights in this respect are limited. On the other hand, I will not release a child to a non-parent without a parent's permission. On the enrollment form, there is a space to list those persons who are authorized to visit, call or pick up your child. I ask that you list your emergency contacts in this portion because they may need to pick up your child in an emergency situation (i.e. if your child is too ill to be in child care and neither parents is reachable or if there is some sort of emergency related to the provider, parent or child and no parent is reachable.) In a non-emergency situation, I will not release your child to a non-parent unless you give me written permission for a specific instance or you give me written permission for a regular arrangement (i.e. an aunt who will pick the child up once a week.) The only exception to this might be if the parent were to call me during the day and request that I release the child to one of the people listed on the 'authorized to visit, call or pick up' portion of the enrollment form. However, I would much prefer a written request and if I feel unsure of a situation, I may deny a request if it is not in writing. In all instances, if I do not know an individual, I will ask for identification to ensure that I am releasing the child to the correct person.
Parent Conferences: If you have a number of questions about how your child is doing or if you have concerns, it may be best to plan a meeting, or arrange a time to talk on the phone, so we can take some time--without interruptions--to talk. I will arrange for general parent conferences once a year, usually in the Spring.
Insurance: In addition to homeowners and auto insurance, I carry liability insurance on my childcare business.
Illness: Please do not bring your child on days when she/he is ill. I cannot give one sick child enough attention and isolate her/him from the others while also caring for the other children. If your child has any of the following conditions, please keep her/him at home:
1. The child does not feel well enough to participate comfortably in the usual activities, including going outdoors.
2. I will be required to spend too much extra time caring for your child. I can give your child medicine and hold him for short periods of time but I cannot change menus and I cannot spend excessive amounts of time administering medicines or treatments.
3. The child has a fever (101) in the past 15 hours. (Child must be fever free and not on a fever medication for 15-24 hours before returning to child care.)
4. The child shows signs of a possibly serious illness: unusual drowsiness, fussiness, persistent or excessive crying, wheezing, uncontrolled coughing, difficulty breathing, complaining of severe pain.
5. Diarrhea (excess liquid and increased number of stools) in the last 15 hours. Keep child home until consistency of stools improves and number of stools decreases considerably.
6. Vomiting: If your child has vomited at least one time in the past 15 hours, please keep him or her at home.
NOTE: If your child has a fever, vomits or has diarrhea at all in the 24 hours before he is supposed to come to my home, call me the evening before he is planning to come. Many programs do not allow children to enter until they are free of these symptoms for 24 hours but if we determine that he is healthy for 15 hours (by about 5 p.m.), I am willing to allow him to attend.
7. Mouth sores with drooling, unless a health professional determines the child's illness is not communicable.
8. Rash with fever or behavior change until a health professional determines that the child's illness is not communicable.
9. White or yellow eye discharge and/or pink/red eye (Pink-eye/conjunctivitis) until 24 hours after treatment is started.
10. Scabies, head lice or other insect infestation until 24 hours after treatment is started and the child is nit-free.
11. The following contagious diseases, until the child meets requirements listed in my "Preparing for Illness" brochure or until your pediatrician says it is safe--which ever time is later:
Tuberculosis, mumps, measles, impetigo, hepatitis A, rubella, strep throat or other strep infection, chicken pox, shingles, or pertussis (whooping cough).
If your child becomes ill during the day, I will notify you and ask you to take her/him home. If neither parent is available, I will contact one of the people listed on the emergency form. Please call me, as soon as you know, if your child will be absent (due to illness or other reasons) so I will know not to expect him/her. Also, let me know if he/she has a contagious disease so I can inform other parents if their children may have been exposed.
If My Child Is Ill: I usually choose to keep the child care open when one of my children is ill. I will have him stay in a bedroom or living room (away from the others). I will still warn you about his illness (if he has symptoms listed above) to give you the opportunity to keep your child home, because there is no way that I can guarantee that they will not have contact with him. If your child comes down with any of the symptoms listed above, even if they are the same symptoms as my child had, you will still be required to keep your child home for the required amount of time. If for some reason, I choose to close the child care when one of my children is ill, I will use a paid sick day.
Medications: If necessary, I will administer medications to your child. I am trained in Medication Administration
I will give you forms to fill out to give me permission and instructions to administer medication. Please review these forms and ask questions to ensure that you know how to fill them out before you need to use them. Keep these forms in a place where you will be able to find them when needed, so you do not have to fill them out as you are dropping off your child in the morning.
Some Requirements for Medications:
*Send the medicine in its original containers (including the box it was packaged in).
*Include the package insert which details the possible side effects.
*If your doctor gives you a sample container of medication, please ask them to label the sample with the following information: Date, child’s first and last names, prescriber’s name, name of the medication, route of administration, dosage, how often to give the medicine, and date to discontinue the medication (or length of time, in days, the medication is to be given.)
*Include the proper dosing tool (medicine cup, medicine spoon, oral syringe, etc). Please ask your child’s doctor or a pharmacist which tool will be most appropriate (even for over the counter medications.)
*When filling out the medication form, use the brand name of the medicine you are bringing. If you write, “Sudafed” on a form but it is actually a store brand version of pseudoephedrine, I will not be able to give it to your child.
*Fill in the medication consent form completely. I will give you a sample filled out form and some explanations about the various questions on the form.
*In some cases, the Doctor will also need to sign this form. I will give you a list of types of medications or instances when this is needed. You may want to keep some of these forms in your car for unexpected trips to the doctor.
*Every day, please inform me of any medication you have given your child since at least midnight the night before (or to be safe, since I last saw your child). If your child is on a daily medication at home, please inform me about that in writing so I can be aware of that. And inform me when you stop using that medication daily.
*If it is a prescription medication, ask the pharmacist to split the prescription into two containers so you can send one for me to keep here. That way we will not have to pass the bottle back and forth every day. Substitute Care Arrangements: In some situations when I am unable to care for your child, I will be able to arrange for a substitute to come to my home. My substitute has completed and passed the TB test, criminal history check, and child abuse history as required by the state. She also has Infant and Child First Aid training. She is usually available if I need a substitute for part of a day. However, you will be expected to arrange for substitute child care when I am on vacation or if I must take a sick day or personal day. Severe Weather: Severe weather can occur throughout the year. There are hurricanes in the Summer and Fall, snow storms in the Winter, and severe thunderstorms or tornadoes in the Spring and Summer. If the weather or road conditions are severe enough to close the county schools, please call me by 7:30 a.m. to let me know if you need to work. In most instances, the child care will remain open. However, if conditions are dangerous, please keep your child home if an adult will be there to care for her/him. If my home loses power or other conditions make it unsafe for the children, the child care will close for the day. The child care will close for hurricanes, which can cause flooding, power outages and damage to my home. If a hurricane is expected to hit Ready To Play Policy: Please bring your child ready to play and have fun each day. To ensure this, help your child have a good night’s sleep each night by having a relaxing bedtime routine and consistent rules about middle of the night wakings. Having a regular morning routine will also help get your child off to a good start each day. This routine should include changing diapers and putting on clean clothes for the day. While infants must be fed at least one bottle before arriving at child care, older children do not have to have breakfast at home if they will arrive by breakfast time at child care (approximately 8:30). However, many parents find that even older children do better if they have a small breakfast snack at home and/or some milk before coming here. If you find that you have a hard time making routines that will work for you and your child, please come to me and I may be able to help. Clothing: Please dress your child in comfortable clothing so he/she is able to move around easily. Since feeding and other activities can be messy, use clothing, which can get dirty. I would also appreciate it if you would dress your child in clothing, which will simplify diaper changing and dressing. Please send appropriate clothing for outdoor play (coats, hats, etc.) EVERYDAY!! I plan to take the children outside everyday unless it is raining or very cold or very hot. (We may go out in the rain occasionally, too. I will tell you beforehand, though, so you can send appropriate clothing.) Field Trips: We may take field trips on occasion. We may go to a park, to the fire station, or to other places of interest. We will frequently go for walks around the neighborhood. At times we may need to take a ’special field trip’ to pick up or take one of my sons somewhere. This is not common but does happen at times, particularly in the Summer when they are busy with various activities. I will let you know about planned trips in the car and I will ask you to sign a permission slip for any trip that requires us to go in the car. Upon enrollment, I will have you sign an emergency field trip form that will allow me to take your child in my car if I need to pick up one of my sons from school when they are sick or injured. I have carseats appropriate for each child in care. I ensure that they are not outdated and are safe to use. They are installed correctly and tightly each time they are used. Medical forms, Emergency forms, Developmental History forms and other forms must be completed and returned to me as soon as possible. Please fill out each section completely with full addresses for everyone, including the emergency pick up people. Medical forms must be updated every six months until your child is two years old and then once a year. Enrollment forms, emergency forms, and food program forms will need to be updated every year. I will give you new forms at that time. The law requires that I see all new children's birth certificates within seven business days of the child's enrollment. Please, bring this for me to view. I do not need to keep it. Parents Must Provide: Parents are required to provide two complete sets of extra clothes which can be left here and used as needed and the following items as agreed upon: ___________________________________ I will supply a tote bag for you to bring and take home daily. You can use this to bring clean extra clothes, your tuition checks, and other items needed here; and I will send a daily note home, artwork, dirty clothes and other items home in it. Please, do not put medicines, small objects or other dangerous items in the bags....the bags are kept within reach of the children. YOU DO NOT NEED TO BRING ANYTHING ELSE. I will provide beds, bedding, baby wipes, diaper ointment, food, bibs, cups, other items needed at meals, baby equipment, toys and activities. Please do not bring toys. More often than not, when children bring toys from home they fight over them or they get broken or lost. If your child insists on bringing a toy, discuss it with me and we can find a way to handle the issue. (Blankets or similar objects are fine to bring.) If I do not seem to have something that your child needs or if you want to bring toys or other items to leave here, please let me know. (If you want me to use a specific brand of wipes or diaper ointment, tell me and I will have you supply that.) WHAT TO BRING Before your child starts his or her first day in my child care home, please bring the following to me: "Family Child Care Agreement"--signed, and bring your copy for me to sign. A Check for the amount of the deposit required to hold a spot for your child. Enrollment Form--complete....with all addresses completed including zip codes Your child's birth certificate for me to view "Part 2: Agreement to be completed by parents"--signed "Children's Emergency Medical Authorization"--complete "Developmental History" Form--complete USDA Food Program Enrollment form (you keep the pink copy) Permission to go to My children's schools in emergency. Insurance Disclosure form Any other forms I have asked you to complete. *******As soon as possible, within 1 month, please bring your child's "School Entrance Physical Examination & Immunization Certification" Form--completed and signed by the doctor.********* Once your child starts to come regularly, please bring the following: A tote bag which I will supply to bring and take home daily. I will send home dirty clothes, artwork, notes, etc. in this bag, and I will check it for notes from you, clean clothes, etc. each morning. Please put your child care payment check in the bag on Monday mornings. (Please do not leave wipes, ointments, medicines or other dangerous items in the bag. If you need to bring something to me, hand it to me before you go off to work.) Two complete changes of clothing which can be left here. Replace these with new ones as needed. Diapers in full packages. I will let you know a couple days before I think we will run out of diapers. Each day you should bring appropriate clothing for your child to wear outside (including hats and mittens for winter or sun hats for summer). (Optional) A blanket or other objects your child likes to take to bed, IF he/she needs something special. I will provide appropriate blankets whether or not you send one. **PLEASE LABEL EVERYTHING CLEARLY****PLEASE LABEL EVERYTHING CLEARLY*** Barbie's Family Child Care is an Equal Opportunity Provider
In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agricultural policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. This institution will also not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, religion or political affiliation.
To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800)7953272 (voice) or (202)720-6382 (TTY). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
